WIN! We’ve got four pairs of tickets to give away at www.facebook.com/timeouthk. 

We at Time Out are no strangers to the wild and wonderful world of Legend, Hong Kong’s premier Mixed Martial Arts competition, (see http://bit.ly/akfr1H; http://bit.ly/xJ6xD7) so it should come as no surprise that we’re championing their latest showdown, Legend Fighting Championship 8, on March 30 at the Asia World Expo. The fight to discuss is between Legend’s lightweight defender, Mongolia’s Jadamba Narantungalag, and his first challenger, the brawny South Korean Nam Yui Chul. Nam is on a three-fight streak, including the ‘Fight of the Night’ and ‘Knockout of the Night’ titles at Legend 5, but Narantungalag (who is ranked one of the top twenty fighters worldwide) is onto his seventh successful fight, making a tight competition that’s perhaps the most important of Nam’s career.

For the past three years, Legend has been supplying the down and dirty Championships just fast enough to keep up with a growing demand. Legend’s first Championship in 2010 attracted a relatively modest 1,000 spectators, but this year attendance is expected to skyrocket.
For Hong Kong fans, this Championship comes as an unexpected opportunity to hear some smacks and punches land firsthand. Originally, the show was slated to headline in Jakarta, hometown of Fransino Tirta, the Legend featherweight champion and Indonesia’s undefeated fighter. After Tirta ruptured his appendix (don’t worry—he’s okay) the event was quickly relocated back to Legend’s home base in Hong Kong.

Now that Firta is out, fans can expect to see Chinese “submission artist” (meaning that he can elicit submissions, not that he’s good at playing possum) Ji Xian in his place, facing Japanese champion Yusuke Kawanago. Oddly enough, this is Legend’s first ever foray into Featherweight fighting, but it’s sure to be memorable. Ji is undefeated, earning all even of his victories with Python-esque clinch holds, but Kawango is famed for being heavy-handed and rough in the ring—a true master of the TKO.

Also on the roster is 2011 Shooto Rookie Tournament winner Yusuke Kasuya, making his Legend debut against top South Korean lightweight Song Un Sik, South Korean Kim Hoon against Sengoku welterweight champion Keita Nakamura, Sam Brown and Yuki Niimura fighting for the title of heavy lightweight (huh?). And finally, Legend newcomers Wu Haotian and Dan Hooker are both looking to shock and awe.

So if you’re looking for some blood, sweat and tears, you know where to find them. Maddie Gressel

Legend Fighting Championship 8 is at Asia World Expo on March 30.

WIN! We’ve got four pairs of tickets to give away at www.facebook.com/timeouthk.